Canadian Medal of  

          Honor.com

  • Sunday evening's blogs
  • graves, memorials and medals
  • About the Author
  • contact the Author
  • Home
latest blog

(He)... "is an excellent example of the commitment to service and bravery that our men and women" ... "  still provide today, much of it here at home. It is an honor to be the lead sponsor of this bill to name this building in honor of a true American

9/16/2013

0 Comments

 
Those words were heard by members of the United States Congress on 16 July 2013. They were spoken by the US Democratic Party's Wisconsin Representative... Thomas Petri.  With decades of political credentials at the federal and state level, Petri rose to address the House of Representatives with a proposal that an American hero  be remembered for his bravery in a very special way. And in so doing, his contemporaries and former shipmates would also be so honoured for their continuing service to the nation. That, and the world, and usually with little fan fare when clearly much is due. 
Picture
You are looking at a picture of a massive million sq ft  project that is bigger than the Pentagon. It will ultimately house many branches of US government Home Security related agencies. And one of these is the United States Coast Guard, of which Mr. Petri was speaking.

This will be the first building that agency apparently will actually own.

Next week I hope to be standing in front to of it.

One of these buildings, at  Washington DC is now named the Douglas A  Munro Coast Guard Headquarters Building. And this is in part, due to the tremendous work the US Coast Guard does to perpetuate the true heroism of First Class Signalman Douglas Munro who was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Picture
Douglas's father worked in the railroad and power station business and worked for years in the Vancouver area of BC. Soon after the birth of Douglas (pictured to right)  and his sister, the family moved across the border to the Seattle area, from which Douglas would get early schooling before joining the US Coast Guard in WW11. Past blogs have brought you  several mentions of his heroism, that cost him his life  on September 27 1944 at Guadalcanal. President FD Roosevelt awarded Douglas with a posthumous Medal of Honor, and actually presented it to Douglas's mother at a White House service later that year.

The US Government and the Coast Guard itself have done much to help keep Douglas' story alive. There are streets, and buildings, and monuments and statues and markers and his very grave site, which is a state historic site, to remind us of the bravery of the Coast Guard men and women, and in particular, Doug who was, and remains, the only member of the Coast Guards to ever be awarded the Medal of Honor.

There is also a move afoot to create a new commemorative coin for the USCG and some thoughts have the coin possibly displaying an image of Douglas. I will keep my eyes open for news on that and bring it forth as it becomes available. 

Picture










This is the WW11, Korea and Vietnam era Coast Guard Cutter Munro, and to the right is the Alaska based cutter of the same name, both obviously named in honor of Douglas. Next Friday the 27th, will mark the 71st anniversary since Douglas took his crew of boats in to rescue 500 US Marines. Both the Marines and Coast Guard for years have making the Munro story a point of instruction at their basic training camps. 

Picture












This year on the 27th, like so many in the past, the local Seattle area CG family hold a service for Douglas at his grave marker. This year they will be unveiling the refurbished guns that were decaying over the years. The marker on the right actually stands in front of the left gun in the left picture above.

HIs late sister in an interview with me years ago noted that , in his youth, Douglas used to go to this very graveyard and practice with his trumpet. He would play taps over and over again to improve his skills. Perhaps he can still here them today in the same cemetery! She also added that the few times he got  convinced to go hunting, he could not shoot... cause he did not want to kill anything.

Well folks, I'm off by car, by ferry, by bus, by plane and by car again to get to Gettysburg. Stay tuned for updates.

It all starts with me being very tired and in Seattle later today.

Maybe someday they will make a movie of me... Perhaps we could call it Sleepless in Seattle...  Oh, they already did that you say!

Oops.

Bart

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author;
    Bart Armstrong, C.D.,
    Recipient, Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers 

    Archives

    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly